valdemarfandomcom-20200214-history
User blog:Stafngrimr793/Grass Cats - Forest Cats - Change Cats
Here's some of the background notes I wrote for the fan fiction I am writing. Possibility of Changecats was inspired by Proouw and his pack in “Errold’s Journey” and the mention of the Ratha in “Storm Breaking.” Based the grass cats on… Ocelot: Height at shoulder: 16 - 20 inches --- Head and body: 22 – 39 inches --- Tail: 10 – 16 inches --- Weight: 15 – 35 pounds Serval: Height at shoulder: 21 – 24 inches --- Head and body: 26 – 39 inches --- Tail: 12 – 14 inches --- Weight: 20 – 40 pounds Grasscats of the Northern Dhorisha Plains: known as Pretena (pray-teah-nah), a small subspecies related to the Pretera, known better by the Shin’a’in. Their range is in the northwest to mid-north area of the Plains, within 5 or so leagues of the Rim. Pre-Change stats: Height at shoulder: 25 – 27 inches --- Head and body: 29 – 41 inches --- Tail: 14 – 18 inches --- Weight: 30 – 50 pounds (Males are at the larger end, with some weighing as much as 60#) Coloration: Tan to light brown guard hairs with buff undercoat. Black stipes on face, neck, chest and tail. --- Eyes: Greenish to yellowish Life expectancy: 12 – 15 wild, 23 – 27 Bonded to a Shin’a’in or other human who knows proper care. Mature at 2 years, will mate once a year. Gestation is about 4 months with a litter size of 1 – 4 cubs. Cubs will start eating solid food at 2 months old and will be fully weaned at 6 months. Will start striking out on their own at 1 year old. Juveniles will not stray too far from their birth family territory. Post-Change: These cats are twice as large as regular grass cats (about 60 – 100 pounds, large males up to 120#) and have a litter once every 4 years as the young develop slower than unchanged cats. The M’Roow, as they call themselves, come into full adulthood at 7 years old and live up to 45 years, if injury and illness do not take them first. Based the forest cats on… Canadian Lynx: Height at shoulder: 19 - 22 inches --- Head and body: 30 – 40 inches --- Tail: 2 – 6 inches --- Weight: 18 – 24 pounds Eurasian Lynx: Height at shoulder: 22 – 30 inches --- Head and body: 31 – 52 inches --- Tail: 4 – 10 inches --- Weight: 20 – 650 pounds Forestcats of the Southern Pelagirs: known as Sylvynx (sill-vinks) in the local dialect, which is related to Jkathan. Their range is in the southern area of the Pelagirs Forest, within 20 or so leagues of the Rim. Pre-Change stats: Height at shoulder: 26 – 30 inches --- Head and body: 33 – 53 inches --- Tail: 5 – 9 inches --- Weight: 40 – 60 pounds (Males are at the larger end, with some weighing as much as 80#) Coloration: Reddish-brown to black guard hairs with tawny undercoat. Darker spots all through the coat, save the underbelly, which is buff. Tufted ears and longer fur along cheeks. --- Eyes: Hazel to gray Life expectancy: 14 – 18 wild, 26 – 32 Bonded to a Tayledras, most usually a scout, or other human who knows proper care. Mature at 3 years, will mate once a year. Gestation is about 5 months with a litter size of 2 – 3 cubs. Cubs will start eating solid food at 2 months old and will be fully weaned at 6 months. Will start striking out on their own at 1 year old. Juveniles will not stray too far from their birth family territory. Post-Change: These cats are twice the size of forest cats, about 80 – 120 pounds, with large males up to 150#. The H’Toohf, as they call themselves, come into full adulthood at 8 years old and live up to 50 years, if injury and illness do not take them first. The initial changes for the 1st Sylvynx prides affected were done by the Adept Klarin in the years before the Cataclysm triggered by Urtho in his last ditch effort to end Ma’ar. She gave them human intelligence and limited Mindspeech. Klarin lived in the forest about where K'Sheyna Vale was made. She was able to shield within a league or so of her cabin when the Cataclysm occurred. Both tribes of Changecat are able to walk upright, but do not find this comfortable, or swift, for more than a few hundred paces. The "modern" Change gave the M'Roow Intelligence and Mind Speech (boosted the Minspeech abilities of the H'Toohf) plus both tribes gained the ability to vocalize language and physical size. Their speaking ability (which they call Ourspeak), was helped by Jehann, an itinerant mage, who taught them a pidgin dialect, which is a “Trade Tongue” in the region (Shin’a’in and Jkathan elements). Jehann also convinced them to combine. As a young man, he helped his family, who were trappers. Hybrids of the Forest and Grass Cats were known to him, so he thought the Changecats could well intermix. Category:Blog posts